Team,
Welcome back and I hope you found some time to relax with family and friends during the break.
Staffing plans must be completed by April 19th. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. I’m looking forward to our one-on-one meetings to learn about and understand your plans. ~Juan
To Do
From Lora Nordquist
Team,
You should all have received information about our April 10th leadership team meetings, where school teams will dive into Youth Truth data. A couple of important reminders:
- Both meetings are in the board room, NOT Perseverance Hall.
- Elementary will meet from 1:00-3:00 PM, and Secondary will meet from 3:15-5:15 PM.
From Paul in HR:
HR has been working to better understand what staff may or may not do during their lunch periods and here is what we’ve learned:
- For certified staff: We cannot enter into any agreement that infringes on their 30-minute duty free lunch. Here is the relevant ORS 342.608
- For classified staff: The district consulted with BOLI as to whether classified employees can voluntarily waive their meal period. The answer we received was to refer to our CBA to see if it includes language allowing classified staff to forgo the meal period and work through it. The BLS/OSEA CBA states the following:
16.5.2: With the supervisor’s approval, employees may work through break
and/or meal period, work a regular schedule, and receive pay for the extra time.
In unusual circumstances, supervisors may require employees to work during break and/or meal periods, provided employees will be granted compensatory time off, for the time worked, or paid time and one-half for the break and/or meal time actually worked.
In summary, certified licensed staff cannot work during their 30-minute duty free lunch period. Classified staff may agree to work through breaks or meal periods, with prior supervisor approval, and receive pay for this extra time.
Performance Evaluation Reminders
All goals, formal observations and most mini’s should be finalized in UKG by the end of April. We are asking Level Leaders to review your progress during their next one-on-one site visit.
In addition, please initiate Self-Reflections (SRs) for your staff this week. You may ‘skip’ instead of ‘initiate’ SRs those who are not on a full evaluation cycle this year. Staff are instructed to complete their SRs by May 1.
- Here is an instruction video to share with your staff on how to complete self-reflections
- Here is an instructional video for admin on how to review, submit and finalize self-reflections
From Dean Richards
The first round of curriculum requests (tools that are not specific to the content of a course) will begin on Wednesday, April 10th. Teachers will receive an email from “BLS Instructional Technology.” This first phase is for tools that are used for instructional engagement, productivity, and collaboration, e.g.. Kahoot, Padlet. Schedules do not need to be known for this phase of the curriculum request process as these tools are not specifically tied to a course. Our second phase of the process (course specific curriculum tool requests) is scheduled to open in early May. Access to this FAQ will be included in the email.
Please let your staff to be on the lookout for this email.
This and That
From Kinsey:
Day of Silence:
2024’s Day of Silence will be Friday, April 12th. You will likely have students observing this day in school sometime around that date. Students have the right to express themselves (including through silence, in this case) as long as it is done in an orderly and nondisruptive manner—see related policy.
Ensure your teachers accommodate participating students by:
– Planning nonverbal or written options for class participation that day
– Learning about the day and its significance to your students
From Dave VanLoo
Just a heads up that some new information and resources have been added to this Important OSAS Testing Information document. New content includes updates to the TIDE user guide, tracking resources related to accessibility, and the SEED survey.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mOiq0TreI7wihCJL3c8XWl1DicngbXM4LuTQ46H4fyk/edit?usp=sharing
Please reach out with any questions or support you need.
From Becca Burda
With the partial solar eclipse approaching this Monday, April 8th in Central Oregon, it’s crucial to prioritize the safety of our students’ eyes. While we will only experience a 26% coverage and may not noticeably observe the eclipse, direct viewing of the sun without proper protection can still cause eye damage. The whole event will be less than 2 hours with a peak around 11:30. Here are some essential safety measures to implement during the event.
A HUGE thanks to Colleen Behrens, secondary science instructional coach, for providing the following information and resources. Thank you, Colleen!
- Eclipse Glasses: Use only ISO 12312-2 certified eclipse glasses. Remind students to wear these glasses at all times when looking directly at the sun, even during a partial eclipse. https://eclipse.aas.org/eye-safety
- Pinhole Cameras: Encourage the use of pinhole cameras as an alternative safe viewing method. These simple devices allow students to observe the eclipse indirectly by projecting the image of the sun onto a surface. https://eclipse.aas.org/eye-safety/projection
- Shadow Play: Another safe option is to observe the eclipse’s effects through shadows. Using items like a colander, students can witness the eclipse by looking at the patterns of light and shadows cast on the ground. https://eclipse.aas.org/eye-safety/projection
- Supervision: Assign designated staff members to supervise students during the eclipse. Ensure that students are using eye protection and following safety guidelines at all times.
- Education: Take this opportunity to educate students about the importance of eye safety during solar events. Explain why it’s unsafe to look directly at the sun without proper protection and demonstrate the correct use of eclipse glasses and other viewing methods. https://airandspace.si.edu/whats-on/soar-together-air-and-space/eclipse#puppets
By implementing these safety measures, we can ensure that our students have a memorable and safe experience observing the partial solar eclipse on April 8th.
Let’s make this eclipse viewing a safe and enriching experience for everyone involved!
Roger White support:
Thank you Patrick for sharing the information about how we can help Roger and his family as they rally around helping their husband and dad as he fights the hardest fight of his life to recover. While it is a Meal Train link, it is also a place to send gift cards and donate money as well. What to help? Click this link.
Calendar
April 8th: E-Bikes are prohibited to be on MS campus (16 and under)
April 10: No classes, Teacher work day, and conferences
April 11: Conferences & Juan School site visit (Staffing Plans 1 on 1)
April 11: Middle School Horizontal @HDMS at 3:00-4:30 Cancelled
April 12: No school
April 18: Secondary Instructional Planning Meeting 8:00-10:30 @Ed Center Board Room
April 19: Have Staffing Plans completed
April 25: Middle School Horizontal @PCMS at 3:00-4:30
April 26 & 29: Juan out of office. Limited email but available by text & phone
Fish On…
If you find yourself in NOLA, go check this place out!
